Cà dei Frati sampler pack

Five bottles, one winery, one family: This package showcases the full breadth of Cà dei Frati. For generations, the Dal Ceros have cultivated vineyards on the southern shore of Lake Garda – on calcareous-clay soils exposed to the lake's climate, which impart a distinctive minerality to their wines. Their selection ranges from classic Lugana white wine and a barrel-aged cuvée to rosé, Metodo Classico sparkling wine, and a mature Amarone from Valpolicella. Anyone wanting to discover the Dal Cero estate will find these five bottles a complete overview.

The I Frati Lugana DOC takes center stage – the benchmark wine of the appellation, the estate's calling card for decades. Made from Turbiana grapes grown in calcareous soils south of Sirmione, it offers aromas of white blossom, ripe apricot, a hint of almond, and a lively acidity that delivers both freshness and length. Ready to drink by 2028, it's already a reliable companion to fish and white meat. The Pratto Bianco takes a different approach: a blend of Turbiana, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, where the Trebbiano and Chardonnay are aged in barriques, while the Sauvignon Blanc retains its fruitiness in stainless steel tanks. After nine months of oak aging and further bottle maturation, the result is a white wine with volume, a touch of vanilla, and a crisp freshness – a style more reminiscent of Burgundian wines than the lighter I Frati.

The Pietro dal Cero Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is the most powerful wine in the collection. Vinified from dried Corvina grapes and aged for 24 months in oak barrels, it offers aromas of Morello cherry, dark chocolate, star anise, and a hint of tobacco in the long finish. The tannins are ripe and velvety, and the alcohol is well-integrated. This is a wine for the autumn and winter table—or for patient drinkers who will allow it to cellar for a few more years. The collection is complemented by the Rosa dei Frati , a salmon-colored rosé made from Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese, and Barbera grapes, with notes of wild strawberry, herbs, and a crisp finish. Also included is the Cuvée dei Frati Metodo Classico Brut , a bottle-fermented blend of Turbiana and Chardonnay with fine bubbles, apple, citrus peel, and a hint of brioche. Both are wines for the table, not for display.

Pair it with: Lake Garda trout or grilled pike-perch with the Lugana and the Metodo Classico, goat's cheese risotto with the Pratto Bianco, duck breast with cherries or wild boar loin with the Amarone. This package is ideal as an introduction to the style of one of Lake Garda's most renowned wineries, as a gift for Italian wine enthusiasts, or as a structured evening with five glasses and a clear theme: the Dal Cero family, on the southern shore of Lake Garda, from aperitif to great red wine.